Andrew Lansley hails 'fantastic' improvement in cancer care

Treatment for cancer sufferers has undergone a "fantastic" improvement with patients being seen more quickly and given wider treatment options, the Health Secretary has said.

Announcing the results of the national cancer patient experience survey, Andrew Lansley said 88 per cent of patients rated their care as very good or excellent. The research also found that 98 of 158 English NHS trusts scored higher than they did last year.

Ninety-four per cent of patients said they were treated with dignity in 2011, a rise from 93 per cent in 2010. And 83 per cent said they were seen by a hospital doctor quickly compared with 81 per cent in the previous year.

Of the 70,000 patients surveyed, 84 per cent said they were given a choice of treatments. More than nine in 10 said they were given clear answers by healthcare specialists and 83 per cent said they were treated with respect.

Juliet Bouverie, director of services for Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "It is fantastic news that so many trusts have improved in the experience they provide cancer patients.However, it is essential that this is the case for all cancer types. People with rarer cancers should not be treated any worse than those with a common type.